


Prison Days

by Azoural



Category: Magic Kaito, ナンバカ | Nanbaka, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Escape, Family Feels, Friendship, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, Mystery, Nanbaka section is way too empty, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poor Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Poor Life Choices, Rivalry, prison break - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-10-26 08:26:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17742446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azoural/pseuds/Azoural
Summary: It finally happened: the Kaitou KID has been caught. And where else to send him than the best prison in the world? But in those troubled times at Nanba prison, there might be a chance to escape…Cross-posted on FF.net





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Do I know what I'm doing? Naaaah. That said, enjoy your read :D  
> Disclaimer: Nanbaka belongs to Shō Futamata, and Detective Conan/Magic Kaito belong to Gōshō Aoyama.

All was quiet within the most secure prison in the world, situated somewhere around Japan, famous for its (almost) perfect 'no-escape' score – it was indeed the one and only:

 **Nanba Prison**.

Which made the 'quiet' part of the previous statement _highly_ suspicious.

If Hajime didn't already know the reason behind that anticipatory silence, he would be sweating bullets by now, trying to figure out what the idiots of his building were going to come up with this time.

As it was, he was still pretty tense, but it was for a very different reason: Building 13 was receiving a new inmate today. And a high profile one at that. Hajime could feel the headache coming, and his stomach pains were already acting up.

He had only recently returned to work after his suspension and the whole disaster that had been the New Year Festival, and Musashi's revelations were already more than enough to keep his mind busy. At least no.15 was keeping to himself recently (which he refused to worry about, because the quieter this particular inmate got, the easier his job). In any case, this new transfer couldn't have possibly come at a worst time.

To make matters worse, his already tried nerves were being put to test by the presence of Momoko Hyakushiki, a.k.a. the Warden, because apparently this new inmate warranted just _that much_ attention. And as usual, she was glaring daggers at him whenever he wasn't looking.

What was it about him that enraged her so?!

Seitarō was shifting next to him, unused to the presence of the Warden all the way to Building 13, while Yamato was just smiling, as was typical for the ever enthusiastic training maniac – although he kept to himself at the moment, duty first and all that jazz.

"It is 1100, the new inmate should arrive anytime now." Hyakushiki announced suddenly, "I want you all to remember not to be deceived by his looks. We're talking about an expert escape artist who fancies himself a magician; be aware that he may at all times try to divert your attention and use misdirection to make an escape attempt. _Do. Not. Let. Him._ We are Nanba prison, and he was entrusted to us because no other prison in the world could ever hope to contain him. I will _not_ tolerate failure!"

An answering "Yes Sir!" resonated in the entry hall of Building 13, and the newly-found silence stretched on for a few long minutes, until the electronic buzz of the main door opening broke it. It opened on a dozen of guards entering the hall, followed by a cart holding a massive grey case akin to a coffin, then followed again by a dozen more guards.

Hyakushiki waited for them to be in line and salute, before asking them what was on all their minds.

"Guards, what took you so long? You're ten minutes late." she stated, but Hajime was slightly distracted from the answer by Seitarō's fidgeting.

He glanced down and realized the pretty boy of Building 13 was practically vibrating with excitement, earlier nerves long forgotten.

"... so we had to restrain him more thoroughly than before and even add chains to his box, but they mysteriously fell once we reached Building 13's compound." one of the guards finished his report, and the Warden hummed in thought.

A tick formed under Hajime's eye. This sounded like another troublesome case. Why did they all have to be in _his_ building? The other supervisors had it way easier in his humble opinion, and he grumbled to himself while still keeping his face stoic. Unprofessionalism after his recent stunt wouldn't do.

"I see. Well, I am not too concerned. Hajime Sugoroku here already has one escape artist under his care, I believe he will do splendidly. Do not betray my expectations, Supervisor."

Hajime's back straightened automatically under her gaze, and the bald man tried to play it cool.

"Count on me Warden. This will just be another brat to discipline, no trouble at all." he smirked confidently, and when Hyakushiki gave an answering shark-like grin, he shuddered. That woman was way too scary.

(Momoko on the other hand squealed internally in delight. _'I'll count on you forever, please take care of me!'_ )

"Good. Moving on; the new inmate has been issued the number 1312 and will be assigned to Cell 12- we want our two escape artists close for easier supervision. Now, be aware that no.1312 will, if given the opportunity, complain about his number, and the reason behind that – as you will most probably have to deal with his whining – is that his number in the Interpol database was no.1412, a number which was misread as "KID" by a writer and became one of his most famous monikers."

Hajime could swear Seitarō squealed there and then and he blinked in confusion.

"So it really _is_ Kaitou KID!" the guard exclaimed, starry-eyed.

What the Hell?

* * *

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh well, please review to tell me your thoughts?


	2. Chapter 1

_Hajime could swear Seitarō squealed there and then and he blinked in confusion._

_"So it really is Kaitou KID!" the guard exclaimed, starry-eyed._

_What the Hell?_

* * *

_Now..._

* * *

"Sigh- Supervisor Sugoroku, control your guard." Hyakushiki seemed to have sensed that one coming, and she glared at the few other guards who started whispering between themselves.

"Yes Sir. Seitarō, calm down."

"But-!"

"We'll talk later."

Those words seemed to be enough for Seitarō to remember his place and after gulping slightly, he reassumed his earlier nervous countenance. He still kept on throwing the coffin the occasional furtive glance however.

The briefing didn't last long after that, especially once the coffin began rattling and muffled sounds started to occasionally escape from it.

"Ah. Seems he woke up." one of the guards pointed out, and the meeting warped up with that statement.

In a typical show of his usual enthusiasm, Yamato took the coffin and carried it on his back as if it weighted nothing, ignoring the cart it was previously on and the squeal of surprise/protest it elicited from within the human-sized box. The main team of Building 13 saluted the Warden one last time and headed back to their building proper, Hajime feeling the heavy glare of that terrifying woman on his back all the way to the cells' corridor. The door closed and he immediately released a sigh of relief before getting his usual scowl back on and following Yamato's strides to Cell 12.

Of course, what he feared inevitably happened as soon as they reached their objective.

"Hey psst! Hajime! Hey, hey!"

"Shut up no.11." the guard merely replied, dismissing that particular inmate as fairly harmless as long as he didn't involve anyone else.

"C'mon Hajime, tell me! Is that the new inmate? What did he do? Is he dangerous? Don't let him stay here if he is, we're delicate!"

"Yeah! Imagine if he is a bloodthirsty cannibal! That's too scary!"

Damn, it figures another one was already getting involved.

"Nico... that's disturbing. Where did you even come up with that?"

"Well there's this anime about ghouls I've been watching recently-"

Hajime opted to tune them out, and as he saw Yamato put the coffin down in the middle of Cell 12 without bothering to open it – as instructed –, he impatiently waited for the guard to get out so that he could close the freaking door and move on before another one decided to get invo-

"Oh Hajime? Is it true what they said, that this new inmate is also an escape artist?"

"Really?"

The faint voice that came from deeper inside Cell 13 was the one he dreaded as it sparked with sudden rare interest.

"None of your business, just get ready for lunch and keep it down. You guys are already giving me a headache..."

Uno, who was leaning on the door to peer through the opening despite the bars, smirked evilly at Hajime, correctly guessing his wish to avoid one particular situation. Now, that wouldn't be interesting, would it? Besides, a lifetime of petty revenge wouldn't be enough to satisfy his resentment against this one guard, so he just _had_ _to_ take some advance in his quest to get back to him in every possible way...

"Yes Jyugo," his smirk widened at a vein under Hajime's eye twitched in aggravation, "I wonder if he has your talent..." he trailed off purposefully.

Not much could grab Jyugo's attention, but escaping being his one and only talent, Uno figured a potential rival (and a real one this time) could possibly get him interested in their new inmate and help his own purposes.

Also, it had the benefit of pissing Hajime off.

"Lemme see."

Jyugo's soft footsteps could be heard from behind him and Hajime gave him the stink-eye. The British inmate merely grinned back.

Hajime saw another head push his way to the bars of the door, peering through the opening into the opposite cell to theirs. That's about the time the guard saw himself torn behind two course of actions: leave to avoid more stomach pains or stay to oversee the inmates before they did anything they shouldn't.

The choice was taken out of his hands when Jyugo calmly attempted to cross the corridor _in front of his very eyes._

"Oi... no.15..." he growled lowly, trying to contain his rage, but his fists clenched and unclenched reflexively.

"Oh Hajime, I didn't notice you."

The worst thing was probably how sincere those heterochromia eyes of his appeared when he said that.

He punched him right on the head.

"Hey! What was that for!"

"That's for being out of your goddamn cell you brat! You've got some balls to do it right in front of me..." he punched his palm with his fist as he said that, looming over the shackled escapee.

"It's almost time for lunch anyway, so who cares- you workaholic gorilla! 'Sides, I _told_ you I hadn't seen you were th-BLEURGH" he was interrupted in his passionate explanation by a kick to the stomach, before the guard grabbed him by the back of his collar.

"You brat... You do remember how I said I wouldn't hold back anymore right...?"

* * *

_To be continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read and review? :)


	3. Chapter 2

_"You brat... You do remember how I said I wouldn't hold back anymore right...?"_

* * *

_Now..._

* * *

"H-Hajime, don't be mad I was just... curious?" Jyugo quipped as he tried to escape the guard's clutches, who was much taller and stronger than he was, so he simply ended up pathetically kicking at the air when Hajime lifted him up.

"Forgive me!"

"You goddamn idiots, making me waste time even though I have so much paperwork- and even more so now that we got a new inmate..."

The bald man was about to throw Jyugo back in his cell when he realized it had been left open the whole time and that the rest of its inhabitants had strolled right out. They were now peering inside Cell 12 with slight interest and morbid curiosity caused by by the muffled screams coming from the gray coffin in the middle of the room.

"Oi Hajime, could the guy be suffocating in there?" Rock asked the guard, pointing at the coffin with some uncertainty.

"Wow, they put him in _there?_ It looks like a vampire is about to come out!"

"D-don't _say that_ Nico!What if you're actually right and the guy is a real monster who will come suck us dry in the dead of the night?!"

"Don't be a chicken Uno, there's no way that's true. Though if it is I'd like to ask him what's so good about blood... I mean it tastes pretty bad."

"Are you kidding me...? Rock, I know you love food but to that extent... I'm never seeing you the same way."

"What, you mean you've never lost a tooth in a fight before?"

"Scary~ Rock is the real vampire! We need to call A*ucard!"

Hajime could _feel_ his stomach pains intensify.

He violently threw the 'still-clawing-at-nothing' Jyugo all the way from the corridor to the opposite wall of Cell 13 in one effortless move, and glowered at the remaining inmates with a murderous scowl.

Said inmates stopped in their tracks at the bloodlust they suddenly felt, and slowly, they turned away from the giant box and the muffled screams coming from it, and faced the very _real_ monster of Building 13. They blanched in terror.

" **IN.** "

Even Uno complied immediately, and the three properly cowed inmates rapidly shuffled inside their cell with a pitying look at Jyugo's crumpled form, still half-imbedded into the wall. The British inmate walked off in a huff to poke at Jyugo and check if he was okay – he was still leery of Hajime's strength since his last stunt that put Jyugo in the infirmary for a good amount of time – while Rock leaned on a wall close to the door, knowing lunchtime was just around the corner. Nico however, posted himself at the bars once Hajime had slammed the door shut, and called out to the guard.

"Hajime-chan, is the new inmate gonna be okay? There isn't any sound coming from the coffin anymore." "- _Don't call it that!_ "

Hajime, who had been on his way to leave in order to finally get some work done before lunch, took no.25's words in consideration against his best judgment. He glanced towards the eerily silent Cell 12 and began thinking.

 _'It is true that the coffin has been silent for a moment and there might actually be some cause for concern but on the other hand I doubt this new inmate is going to stay put once he is out of that thing so I would prefer to let this go and just hope that he hasn't died of suffocation, first of all because he is under my care and failing to keep him alive for less than a day would mean another suspension, which is something to avoid at all cost, but also because the other idiots would be even more unbearable than they are now, what with no.11's recent behaviour; on another hand it_ is _almost lunchtime and I have a whole bunch of paperwork concerning this guy's arrival to look over and getting into the cell to check up on him would mean that it would waste some precious minutes of my already tight schedule, not to mention that all guards were informed to be weary of the guy and not to approach the coffin directly or open it ourselves; but then again leaving him to die would mean more paperwork...'_

"... I'm sure he'll be fine."

" _You heartless villain!_ "

"You thought about this for way too long!"

Hajime growled in annoyance at the nagging from Cell 13 but threw another cautious glance at Cell 12. That's when he did a double take.

"What the-"

The coffin was wide open. And _empty_.

As soon as the realization hit him, a new voice broke the suddenly silent Cell 13.

"So you're my new neighbors?"

…

* * *

_To be continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you recognize the manga that was referenced in this chapter? You know the drill ;)


	4. Chapter 3

_As soon as the realization hit him, a new voice broke the suddenly silent Cell 13._

_"So you're my new neighbors?"_

_…_

* * *

_Now…_

* * *

" _KYA!_ "

Later on, his cellmates would make sure not to let Uno live down the squeal that came out of his mouth in that moment, but for now they had other worries.

Standing over the still unconscious Jyugo, a teenager dressed from head to toe in white was observing their fallen friend, tilting his head slightly to the side. He then crouched down to meet his level and poked his back.

"Yo new neighbor, you alive?" he asked lightly, poking some more before stopping when he realized he wouldn't get an answer.

His attention then deviated to the shackles around the young man's neck and limbs.

"... Will I have to wear these too? I'm definitely not wearing these." he commented without ever touching the devices, but interest seemed to sparkle in his indigo eyes.

That's the moment Cell 13 came back to life, and a cacophony of noises exploded all at once.

"J-Jyugo!"

"No.1312, what the Hell are you doing out-!"

"When did he-!"

"Is he another Japanese ninja-?!"

The new inmate just looked at them all in slight bemusement, and stood back up again, a smile on his face.

"Good morning," he bowed his head slowly, "would one of you mind telling me what day it is? It was the 4th of May when I was put into that detestable device."

Rock, who had his priorities straight, gasped in pure horror and pointed at the young man with a trembling finger.

"You mean... you haven't eaten in _2 whole days?!_ "

"I guess so." the new inmate pondered out loud lightly before looking around some more, taking in the cosy interior design of Cell 13.

But his little escapade was not long to last.

A loud clang interrupted Rock's freak out and the new guy's inspection, and the inhabitants of the room turned towards their now wide open door at the foreboding sound. Even Jyugo twitched from his position at the dark aura a certain guard was now emitting.

The predator stalked confidently up to his prey and struck fast as lightning, punching the unsuspecting teenager right in the face. The new inmate didn't have much time to react because Hajime kneed him in the stomach next and, while he was still gasping for air, took the opportunity to toss him over his shoulder like a potato sack. The guard then proceeded to carry the half-conscious inmate to his assigned cell, slugging the others on the head as he passed each of them on his way out, before throwing the poor guy easily in a similar move to the one that sent Jyugo crashing earlier. Except that he aimed at the coffin and closed the giant box on him with a certain dose of vindictive annoyance afterwards. He finally turned his dark glare on the other inmates who were nursing their abused skulls but keeping their mouths shut, and attentively followed Nico's every moves as he cautiously closed their cell's door himself, sweating bullets.

Without so much as a backward glance at Cell 12's new resident, nor any parting word to the remaining conscious inmates, he left.

The silence that came after that was tense at first, but then Uno released a great sigh of relief and slumped on the floor.

"Hajime is even less fun that usual."

"I knooow right?" Nico pouted a bit while patting the top of his head.

"He didn't have to flip like that..."

"Well," Uno theorized, "it _was_ the first time someone other than Jyugo did such an unexpected move."

"Wow, Uno-kun! You're defending Hajime-chan!"

"No _freaking_ way! I still haven't forgiving him about Jyugo. I'm just saying that what the newbie did was surprising to all of us..." the British inmate grumbled and crossed his legs.

"Talking about me...?"

Jyugo's faint voice made them all turn to his crumpled form, only to see it rise unsteadily, accompanied by a low groan of pain. "Damn that gorilla, he doesn't know how to hold back..."

"Jyugo-kun!"

"Hey guys," the heterochromia-eyed boy waved in return and trudged to Uno's side on the floor, "what did I miss?"

"We saw the new guy," Rock answered for them all, "well, we didn't see much of him before Hajime took him out, but he seemed friendly enough. Definitely not the typical fighting type."

"Agreed~ It's a wonder why he was put in that box, he doesn't look that dangerous. The guy looks like a twig honestly, but since he apparently hasn't been eating for two days straight..."

"Oh right, he mentioned that!"

"Aw don't talk about food right now, I'm too hungry..." Rock whined as he sank to the floor, stomach growling.

"Anyway we had just gotten back inside when it turned out the guy was here with us too!"

"Yes! One second the coffin was closed, and the next it was open and White-kun was next to you!"

"Next to me...?" Jyugo repeated, a little perturbed. " _White-kun?_ "

And as the inmates of Cell 13 updated Jyugo on what he had missed, and made up wild suppositions based on what little they knew in order to shut Rock up until lunchtime, a wild haired teen dressed all in white was pouting inside his box.

So guards were violent in this place.

Thank you _very much_ Tantei-kun.

* * *

_To be continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter so far; next chapter should begin with a POV from Kaito if you guys are interested in more.  
> Why am I still doing this…? x')


	5. Chapter 4

_Thank you_ very much _Tantei-kun._

* * *

_And now, a_ _little jump to the past..._

* * *

There they were once again, crime and law clashing wills, chaos and order meeting in a battle of wits. The rooftop was empty except for them, and they were standing on opposite sides, as it should be.

"... How was that Tantei-kun? Enjoyed your birthday present?"

The kid looked taken aback at that.

"Oh, it was today...?"

"Seriously?" Kaito pouted, "All that work and you didn't even remember today was your birthday?" his complaint was incredulous and he threw his arms in the air for extra emphasis, forgoing his poker face for that one tiny moment, as he tended to do in front of his Tantei-kun.

Said detective cast his blue eyes to the side sheepishly and Kaito had to wonder once again about what kind of home life the child led.

"Ah... So that's why I heard the fireworks..." he trailed off awkwardly, a light blush of embarrassment on his cheeks that made the Phantom thief smirk.

"...and the balloons, the mini Kaitou KID-uniform, the confetti and the wall-sticking gloves wrapped in gift paper, yes."

"You use most of those in your regular heists though..." the young detective pointed out weakly.

"Do my fireworks usually spell out _'Congratulations on your 8_ _th_ _birthday!'_...?"

His Tantei-kun flushed at that and hurried to justify himself.

"I was focused on the heist!"

"How you wound me Tantei-kun, ignoring my efforts like that... I put my all into tailoring my spectacle just for you."

Small feet shuffled awkwardly on the tiles of the rooftop.

"...Thanks, I guess..." the black-haired boy mumbled, "I am most grateful for the gloves as they will prove to be a valuable asset in catching criminals in the future." he finished formally and looked him right in the eye before bowing slightly.

"Oh my, how formal, what a polite little boy you are!~" Kaito teased in order to hide his own awkwardness.

Having Tantei-kun be that thankful to _him_ was all sorts of weird.

He was almost relieved when those blue eyes half-hidden behind massive glasses sharpened – although the actual child-like behavior had been refreshing while it lasted.

"Enough of that. Give the jewel back."

"Now, why would I do that Tantei-kun?" Kaito pondered out-loud, "Today may be your birthday, but that shouldn't give you a reason to slack off~ If you want the Dresden Green*, you're going to have to catch it!" he monologued and took the occasion to hold the jewel to the moon and check whether it was the one he was looking for or not.

No inner red light came to greet his experienced eye, and he sighed inwardly, outwardly already preparing to dodge the soccer ball he would undoubtedly be attacked with soon enough.

"Still not the one you are seeking then?"

The detective's words threw him off balance for a grand total of two seconds and he cast a cautious glance in his direction as he pocketed the gem.

"What ever do you mean?"

"You don't have to play dumb. You already know I am hunting a certain organization. Is it such a stretch that I would find out about the one chasing you?"

Kaito never looked away even as his Tantei-kun began casually pacing from side to side. This did not explain how he knew the Kaitou KID was after a specific gem.

"... This and that are completely different things."

"Not really. Actually, I'm not even entirely convinced that the people after _you_ are not in cohort with the ones _I_ am after."

Each step was mirrored with one of his own. The phantom thief was usually unwilling to turn his back on the 'Kid Killer', but it was especially true right now, what with the casual way the kid kept on blowing his mind with revelations.

"A more than competent thief who decides to put on shows and give back his steals – sometimes even to the rightful owners – instead of using his skills for personal gain?" one step to the right, "Gunshots heard at certain heists but no sign of anyone being injured?" another step to the left, "From there on it wasn't such a stretch of imagination to deduce you were looking for a specific jewel – one you can only discover when exposed to the moonlight, if your actions and specific heist dates speak for yourself. One that a criminal organization is _very_ interested in." the detective stopped pacing, "To summarize it all, it seems to me that you are looking for an exceptionally rare jewel, one so rare that an entire criminal organization is ready to kill for it. Now, your reasons for doing so in such a ridiculously flashy manner are still a mystery to me – using the crowd for cover against people wielding guns isn't something that strikes me as your MO – but you know that won't last."

Kaitou KID swallowed with some difficulty. He'd already acknowledged that the detective knew way too much. Even he who was an advocate for denying everything to the bitter end, knew this. He had always prepared for the eventuality that such a day would come, the day a true detective laid bare all his secrets. But never so soon.

(How scary. For this mere _child_ to have had deduced _this much_ from the few rare heists he had attended before...)

And now came the difficult part.

"... And then what? What happens after you find the missing piece of your little puzzle?" Kaito asked, tone light, eyes dark.

(But this was neither an adult nor a child.)

"What happens then is that I'll decide whether to help you or throw you in a cell."

(This was his most formidable opponent, Conan Edoga _-WHAAAAAT?!_

* * *

_To be continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There comes the first part of Kaito's memories, hope you enjoyed it ;)  
> Thank you very much to just responding late for their kind review (it's fine haha), and to new bookmarks and Kudos! You guys make my day :)  
> PS: the Dresden Green is an actual jewel, Google it if you want to check it out


	6. Chapter 5

" _What happens then is that I'll decide whether to help you or throw you in a cell."_

_(This was his most formidable opponent, Conan Edoga-_ WHAAAAAAAAT?!

* * *

_Now..._

* * *

"..."

Kaito's gaping jaw only allowed one word to cross his lips.

"...What?"

The brat had the gall to smile.

"What do you mean 'what'? You can't honestly tell me you thought I wouldn't help if I believed there was danger to be eradicated?" the kid tilted his head to the side in a parody of innocence, but Kaito knew better.

But the thief had yet to close his mouth.

"... What?"

His Tantei-kun seemed tempted to take a step closer and check on him if how he was looking at him was any indication.

"Oi oi... That was enough to break the great Kaitou KID's mind?" he sweat-dropped instead of moving, and Kaito's mouth closed, the sound of his teeth hitting each other very loud on the empty rooftop.

"... Are you _kidding me!_ " he was finally able to respond coherently, "You have absolutely nothing to do with this. Why on Earth would I get you involved in my personal mess!"

"Oh? I see you ignored the part where I said I could decide to simply put you in jail." his Tantei-kun immediately quipped with a devilish smirk. "And I don't see what has your cape in a twist; I have involved you in many cases before."

"You still owe me for that last one…" the magician agreed with a grumble, remembering very well the exploding train he had had to jump out of as a favor for the damn brat. " _But_ this is different."

"How so?"

"Last time, you asked for my cooperation."

"I did. And this time you need mine."

"I most definitely do **not.** "

The detective glowered at him. "Of course you do! You get shot at your own heists! If that's not an indication that you need my help, I don't know what is! What about your 'No one gets hurt' rule that you throw around like a goddamn slogan!"

"Don't. Even. Think. About. It." the kid opened his mouth, ready to protest more, but Kaito was faster, "Also, I'm a _thief_ , there's no way you, a proper detective, would help me for that."

Kaito conveniently chose to ignore that he _had_ done so in the past.

"I'll take that as a compliment, but are you trying to convince me to arrest you...?"

"As if you could."

At the full-blown KID smirk, his Tantei-kun raised an eyebrow. "Don't try to change the subject." he deadpanned.

"I'm not. Weren't you trying to get that jewe-"

"Also," the brat interrupted, "from what I gather, solving your case-"

"Since when is it a case?!-"

"-would be much easier if you were in jail, _safe_ from any stray bullets, so don't tempt me. Whether you'll accept my help or not won't change anything."

The brunet thief scowled darkly and let the shadows of the night hide half his face. "This is not your case, Tantei-kun."

Said detective was standing at his full height – which was not very impressive, mind – and his posture demanded attention.

"Every mystery there is to discover in this world, is a potential case for me to solve."

Kaito gulped. In that instant, he could see how those piercing eyes, thirsty for truth and challenge, were enough to make the most cold-blooded murderer confess all their crimes to a little kid.

But he was no common criminal.

"So this is what it truly is about hm? A game for you to play? How very appropriate for a child such as yourself."

The shorter brunet didn't take the bait.

"Should you really be the one saying that, _Kaitou KID_ -san?"

"I am but stating a fact, Tantei-kun. For all intent and purposes: you are a child. One that plays in a far bigger world than he is, and puts himself in situations far more dangerous than what he is able to handle with his smaller, slower, and _weaker_ body." Kaito was relentless; he knew using his Tantei-kun's age as a deterrent was an unfair argument, but it _was_ a fact.

The younger boy scoffed. "As if that has ever stopped me."

Kaito's eyes narrowed. Oooh, he was asking for it.

"But it has. And it is no wonder." the thief whipped his card-gun out of his pocket and pointed it to the detective who tensed marginally, "Conan Edogawa. You are an eight year-old child, and you have no more business here."

"... are you trying to kick me out of your heist?" said child pondered out-loud, a bit breathless.

"I am."

"You know you can't exactly do that."

"I can, and I did. Your rights to my heists are revoked."

Kaito had never seen such a mix of incredulous and deadpan on the brat before, and he expertly dodged the soccer ball that came just after.

"Why can't you just accept that I will work on this alongside you or not?" the shorter one demanded after straightening back up from his kicking position.

"Would you accept I help you with your own organization?"

"You never offered."

"I do so now."

"..."

"Exactly."

"Even so, I-"

"Listen brat, you're starting to seriously get on my nerves," Kaito suddenly snapped, a tick mark under his eye as he saw the kid ready to get into another argument, "I don't interfere with your business, you don't interfere with mine, capishe?"

"Wait a second there, I never said I was _against_ you helping me with my... business, it's just that it's pretty dangerous, more than what you already-"

"Dangerous? Do you even know what 'dangerous' is at this point, you reckless brat?! You already got _shot_ before, and kidnapped many times! I'll be damned to let _you_ of all people lecture me on danger when all you do is attract it on a daily basis!"

* * *

_To be continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you realise what you just said Kai-chan...?  
> To my utmost surprise, this keeps on getting reviews on FF and here, so here's a new chapter *laughs in confusion*  
> Thanks to TrickyJellyfish for their kind review, you rock! :D And welcome to new Bookmark-ers (can you even say that?) and Kudos givers!  
> PS: Anyone even so much as /willing/ to write a fic on Karakuri Circus will be a God to me forever (seriously, how messed up is the backstory?!)


	7. Chapter 6

" _Dangerous? Do you even know what 'dangerous' is at this point, you reckless brat?! You already got shot before, and kidnapped many times! I'll be damned to let you of all people lecture me on danger when all you do is attract it on a daily basis!"_

* * *

_Now..._

* * *

The detective looked lost for words for a moment, and it took a few seconds for Kaito to understand why.

"Wait... no, that's not what I-"

"… Have you been _spying on me?!_ " the shocked and angry – mostly angry, that didn't bode well for him – voice of his rival resonated across the rooftop, and Kaito's own anger abruptly deflated into nothingness.

"Erm, I- I do that with all the detectives on my case, to figure their strategies out during my heists, I mean come on, it's logical of me to do-"

"KID, I practically _never_ attend your heists. What ever gave you the idea that your stalking was in any way justified? And- how in the world did you ever hear about my getting shot! You couldn't have checked my medical records-"

Kaito tried, he really did, but his silence seemed more than enough for the brat to figure him out.

"You _did!_ KID you bastard! How dare you invade my privacy like that!"

Kaito had to dodge a good number of soccer balls in-between accusations, but he was still able to reply. "Shut it, as if you didn't suspect it already! And you detectives do that with me all the time, how is that fair!"

" _Maybe_ I did, and _maybe_ we do, but _you_ have a criminal record and are actively wanted in a dozen countries and hunted by the ICPO in the rest of the world! I think that justifies trying to look into your identity!"

"Hypocrite!" Kaito just screamed back, out of arguments, rummaging through his mind for an emergency escape, because the kid looked just about ready to explode – and he didn't want to get back to any prior subjects.

_Click._

Huh?

"Good evening Conan-kun; too busy arguing with a rotten thief to actually catch the target?"

Kaito felt intense annoyance prickle at him at the new voice on the rooftop and the feel of cold metal around his wrists. When had this guy arrived...?

"Tantei-san... How pleasant of you to join us on this splendid night." he smoothly reassumed his Poker face and gentlemanly words, leaving no lingering trace of his earlier behavior.

(That was just for his Tantei-kun, not that bastard Hakuba.)

"Drop the charade Kaitou KID, you won't escape from this one." the British detective snapped and tightened the cuffs before heaving a little sigh of effort.

Kaito saw the harness around the young man at that moment and a good amount of other military gear attached in all kind of places. Had the bastard gone all James Bond on him and scaled the building? He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and almost let out a chuckle when he saw his Tantei-kun show no such restrain from the corner of his eye.

"Hakuba-nii-san!"

He cringed at the overly high and sweet voice the child assumed, and threw him a discreet but incredulous look that he simply ignored.

"When did you get here?"

Ah, he wanted to make sure Hakuba hadn't heard anything about his helping a thief. Clever little tyke.

"Just now I'm afraid. I am certain I missed quite the conversation there." the British detective replied – and Kaito would have been worried for a second, if not for the indulgent smile he gave his Tantei-kun after saying his piece.

Ah, so that idiot detective didn't know.

Kaito could understand Hakuba was often elsewhere on cases all around the globe – which he very much appreciated –, but how could he have missed the whole 'KID Killer' moniker? Or did he think it was just another gimmick of the press to attract the reader?

If only he knew.

His Tantei-kun was a _demon_.

"We didn't talk much, Hakuba-nii-san." said demon commented lightly.

The phantom thief that made up half of Kaito's very being smirked in delight as he watched the smaller detective smile: oh? Seems like someone didn't like to be underestimated by a fellow detective. So much pride in such a little body!~ The corners of the mouth were tilted up, the body language was relaxed, but to a master impersonator such as himself, the boy's eyes seemed to murder Hakuba in a variety of gruesome ways.

As usual, those two blue orbs were way too expressive (in his humble opinion).

"It is precisely 00:13:49, and you're under arrest on grounds of public property damage,…"

Kaito ignored the rest of Hakuba's certainly long-winded list of accusations, and easily got rid of the handcuffs around his wrists.

"...theft, obviously, ..."

All in all, this had been a fun heist – Hakuba notwithstanding – and his latest magic trick had worked perfectly well, even if his Tantei-kun had seen through it. Again. Oh well, he was allowed this one since it was his birthday.

"...civilian unrest, ..."

The thief rummaged discreetly through one of his pockets and nudged the last dove still resting there, getting a sleepy peck to his fingers in return, and then finally grabbed at a specific compartment.

"... I, as a detective who ..."

But as he prepared to throw a smoke bomb to make his escape plan easier, he suddenly realized two things:

One: his pocket was empty.

Two: the sting on his neck was _definitely_ from an anesthetic dart, because he was already feeling the effects.

(Since when did these things work so quickly?!)

Kaito himself couldn't believe it, but as he began falling forward, not even Hakuba's cry of alarm distracted him from the myriad of emotions on his Tantei-kun's face, from satisfied to panicked, sheepish to vindicated...

Great, he thought. The one time someone actually manages to catch him, and it was apparently by _accident_.

* * *

_To be continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, we're finally back on track!


	8. Chapter 7

_Great, he thought. The one time someone actually manages to catch him, and it was apparently by accident._

* * *

_Now…_

* * *

Kaito sighed as he remembered the events that took place shortly after his capture.

It wasn't hard because he had only woken twice after his initial knock-out.

The first time, he had been told by an incensed Nakamori-keibu that since they couldn't remove his mask, they would make sure to inform his prison guards of his 'true nature'. Dread had made him go into cold shock before he'd realized that the idiots thought he was impersonating Kaito Kuroba instead of actually _being_ the teenager.

The second time had been on a boat, at which point he had tried to escape but had been knocked out before he could take a single step out of his _coffin_ – like, what the heck? He was getting serious Hannibal vibes and he was not happy –, mostly because he had faltered for a second too long when he'd realized they were in the middle of the ocean.

So many "f-" things all around. _Brrrrr_.

He was roused from his thoughts by the sound of a mechanical bell overhead.

"LUNCH!"

Well, someone sure was enthusiastic.

From within his coffin that he hadn't bothered opening after being violently thrown in _once again_ , Kaito could hear the muffled voices of the inmates of the building as well as the buzz of his cell door opening on its own – most likely programmed to do so at set times.

But the magician thief was far from hungry. Okay, he hadn't eaten for around two days apparently, but his mind wasn't really on food after what had happened. It had all been so sudden… he had trouble realizing _he had been caught_ and was now _in prison_.

(His father would have never let himself be caught, but there he was: the new Kaitou KID, caught by an eight year-old who hadn't even been seriously planning on catching him.)

(That was a sobering thought.)

"Oi Jyugo, maybe you should open that…"

Kaito stopped his instinctive reflex of jumping out of surprise at the voice; it was much closer than the rest of the voices he could hear coming from the corridor…

"I'm going ahead guys, Shiroistestinganewrecipetodaybye-!" the enthusiastic voice from before shouted down the corridor, fading rapidly as its owner presumably raced away.

"Wow, Rock was flying…" another one, younger perhaps, commented, "I'm going after him, hurry up you two!"

"We'll be there in a minute Nico." and the same close voice from earlier again.

Kaito pouted. These guys seemed to get along well. How _nice_.

But he'd rather stay in his coffin, thank you very much. It reminded him of an air duct with how cramped it was, and that made him feel like he was just at any other heist.

Not… somewhere else that had bars on every window and violent guards.

He squinted at the light that attacked his eyes when the door of his coffin was opened regardless.

"Hey, don't do that." he protested at the two curious faces that greeted him.

"Oi oi, you can't tell me you want to stay in there, can you?"

He could recognize one of his neighbors from earlier, peaking at him from behind the other one.

"Ah." he realized, "You're the one who was making out with the wall." he pointed at the black-haired one.

Said inmate, who was fiddling with the lock of his coffin with a pensive frown, looked up at that.

"And you're the new inmate…" he answered, ignoring his friend's snickering.

"Great deductive skills." Kaito deadpanned, still in a bad mood.

This earned him a scowl with no real heat, and an uncomfortable silence stretched on in his admittedly spacious cell. The Kaitou KID refused to break it. He had been minding his own business, hanging out in his coffin, and the two in front of him were intruders preventing him from bemoaning his unfair fate in peace.

"Why are you not coming out?"

It was the blond (pink highlights? sure, why not) man with the British accent who had spoken, interrupting Kaito's discreet attempt at closing the coffin again.

"It's open now, why are you still in?" he insisted with a raised eyebrow at the new inmate's silence, but Kaito wasn't quite ready to make any efforts to indulge his curiosity.

"Don't wanna." he settled for.

"Wait, then why did you come out before to our cell then?" the blond tried again.

"I was in the mood."

For all that he pranced around at night clad all in white on the rooftops of famous museums, Kaito was a very private person. And he knew privacy was really just a concept in… this sort of place. Especially since he didn't have all his garb and tricks available, no hat nor monocle, _nothing_ to hide _anything_. Sooner or later, those two in front of him would know how he had ended up in here with them, and if they hadn't spent their whole life in there, they would recognize him for who he was: Kaitou KID, the Phantom Thief.

(Who had been _caught_.)

In the meantime, he would jealously guard all the secrets he could. And that included the reason behind his earlier escapade.

Which was just simple curiosity really, but implying that there was more to it was always a nice way to appear more mysterious.

He wasn't petty! Just… _depressed_.

The blond's piercing eyes had never once strayed from his, and Kaito immediately recognized a fellow people observer in the cap-wearing British man. Great. Was his Lady Luck punishing him for all the crazy stunts he had pulled over the years?

"Also, why should I get out? I'm not hungry in the least." he felt the need to add after the minutes dragged by.

The sound of his stomach grumbling angrily _just after_ _that_ _statement_ made Kaito curse internally.

"I see, I see, so you're not hungry hm?" the blond man smirked at him.

Kaito remained stubbornly silent, wondering why he was making such a big deal out of staying in his coffin. It wasn't like he was scared of being in a room full of criminals or anything after all…

"Hajime will probably come fetch you anyway if he doesn't see you at lunch…" the blond trailed off with a certain smugness as Kaito's mind automatically pinpointed where he'd heard the name.

Violent guard-san, huh?

He looked down at his grumbling stomach, which was still hurting a bit from the blow it had previously received from said guard.

What an unfair argument.

He climbed out of his safe coffin.

* * *

_To be continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaito is being understandably grumpy and stubborn, as he hasn't quite yet come to terms with being in prison… It won't last, but please bear this in mind if you feel like Kai-chan is being out-of-character.  
> Thanks again to lazyanimelover for their kind review! :D  
> Please read and review? ;)


	9. Chapter 8

 

* * *

_He climbed out of his safe coffin._

* * *

_Now…_

* * *

"So this is the mess hall of Building 13, where the chef and his apprentice, Shiro – former inmate, I'll explain later – cook us up some fine meals, the best ones among most prisons and outside restaurants according to Rock-"

Kaito listened with one ear to the chattering long-haired British inmate, and glanced around the room discreetly, cataloguing all that he could and safe-keeping it in a corner of his mind for later, including every entrances and exits – obviously.

(If he wanted to escape – and that was a given – he had to start preparing everything as soon as possible, considering his lack of ready-made equipment.)

Uno on the other hand babbled on excitedly, half- actually thrilled at the new arrival, and half- observing the reactions of the guards posted everywhere as they made their way in.

Even Jyugo the ever oblivious only-good-at-escaping guy was aware of how silent the room got once they had made it fully inside.

Kaito didn't let anything show however, ignoring the eyes on him with practiced ease and advancing seemingly unbothered towards a table where he recognized his other neighbors enjoying their food. He simply sat on the bench opposite to the avid eater who was probably "Rock" and waited to be served – because he hadn't seen any place where he could do so himself. And indeed, soon enough, a plate of spaghetti was placed in front of him by a towering mass of muscles with peroxide blond hair.

The thief was too relieved that there wasn't any "f-" thing in his plate to notice much of anything else.

"Thank you!" he simply exclaimed with a charming smile, controlling his relief and keeping his absent-minded ponders to himself – was food in… that sort place supposed to look this good?

(His mood plummeted again. Right. He wasn't free anymore.)

His neighbors hadn't exactly allowed him to join their table but he figured since the blond one had more or less forced him to come, he would suffer his presence during meal time. They looked harmless enough at least, and he wondered what they could be in here for...

"So, what's your name?"

Kaito groaned internally. The British guy, _again_ was peering at him intently with a friendly smile that looked too full of teeth to be entirely non-threatening. Of course, it could be his paranoia talking, but better safe than sorry.

"You first." he replied while idly pushing a meatball to the side of his plate.

"Hey! I asked first!-"

"Me first! Me first!" a bundle of energy with lime green hair raised his hand in the air and peaked at him from the opposite side of the table, "I'm Nico, and I love japanese manga and anime!"

Kaito blinked. 5th grader introduction, why not.

"I'm Rock-"

"Not with your mouth full, that's disgusting!"

"-and I love fighting and food- mostly food."

_I couldn't tell._

"I'm Jyugo... I'm good at escaping I guess. And that's Uno over there."

"Jyugo, you traitor…! I wanted to draw it out!"

Kaito ignored the furious bickering of the recently dubbed Uno and looked over at the dark-haired – Japanese, definitely, but what unusual eyes – inmate who had opened his coffin. He leaned on his elbow and peered at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Good at escaping? Not good enough since you're here." he bluntly stated and briefly entertained the thought that taunting an inmate who could be a murderer for all he knew wasn't the brightest idea.

…

Nah.

" _Oi_ … I have escaped from here plenty of times before. We even reached the main gates once, right guys?" Jyugo refuted with a scowl, but Kaito thought it looked half-hearted at best and wondered.

"Then why are you still there?"

"Why did you stay in your coffin back there?"

Kaito twitched. OK, fair.

"The food here is really good." Rock interrupted, and the magician thief looked at him and his empty plate, before turning towards the hyper green puppy who decided to give his two cents as well.

"The medecine is great too, and we can read all day!"

"I feel like we've already had this conversation..." Uno commented as he continued eating his own food. "But yeah. Basically there's no reason for us to escape. We're already well taken care of here, if you ignore that bastard Hajime."

Kaito let out an "Aaaah..." of understanding and looked up at the ceiling, coming to his own conclusions easily enough.

So basically, these guys were bums.

"I get the feeling you just thought something rude." the blond inmate pointed at him with a brightly painted nail.

"Whatever do you mean?" Kaito smiled innocently and resumed pushing his meatballs around, making even more of a mess in his plate.

How peaceful. These four young men didn't seem to have any sort of worries for the future, nor for the world outside the walls of this prison (that 'Jyugo' aside, perhaps). They didn't look all that old, or even jagged; they just seemed used to their situation. Since how long could they have been inmates...?

"You should eat."

Kaito looked across the table. Rock was studying his full plate with slightly envious eyes. Was he refraining from asking to eat it himself? How thoughtful.

But even after being dragged here, Kaito wasn't all that keen on eating anything.

"Want to see a magic trick?"

The words had come out of his mouth without his own accord, but, thinking about it, the magician thief guessed that one little trick couldn't hurt after two days of little to no practice. Unconsciousness did that to you.

He could already feel the intrigued eyes of the quartet around him, and that was enough to put him in full entertainer mode.

"Ladies and gentlemen... mainly ladies-" he ignored the protests around him with practiced ease, "please behold, a magic trick just for your very own eyes! Now, refrain from being _too_ impressed, this humble magician here-"

"Get on with it!"

"-Alas, tough crowd today it seems!" Kaito bemoaned dramatically as he got up, "But no matter, I will now perform a simple vanishing spell!"

His little crowd of four ooo-ed and aaa-ed at appropriate times as he took a slight bow and gestured to his plate full of spaghetti, making Rock gasp as he realized what exactly Kaito was planning on making vanish.

"Oh no, you won't!"

"I assure you that I will~" he winked at the young man sporting a mohawk. "And now, beware! Do no reproduce any of this highly dangerous exercise at home!"

Kaito grinned at the familiar gestures of practicing magic; even in this hostile environment, it felt just like breathing.

"Do not _ever_ leave the plate from your sight, it will all go very fast!"

Kaito saw his crowd gulp in anticipation and kept a firm Poker Face on in order not to reveal his blooming smirk of satisfaction. He took his paper towel and made a show of straightening it out, testing the focus of his crowd who, despite themselves, couldn't help shifting gazes to the moving material distracting them from the target.

"Now, on the count of three- actually, come on, count with me!"

"One...""One!"

Kaito placed the paper towel like a little curtain in front of his plate.

""Twooo…""

He grinned at the anticipation in his crowd eyes; they had the reactions of little kids and… that made him quite happy to be honest.

""Three!""

* * *

_To be continued…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a roll today! (sorry to any reader of Affection, please don't kill me ;-*)  
> Read and review? :D


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